The Pedigrees
by LionsTale1
Summary: Bruno Sanchez lives in a city where mutts receive an operation that makes them pedigrees. He is only a couple weeks away from joining his friend Bella in Suburbia. While he is waiting to get his operation, he meets Rufus. Rufus decides he doesn't want to become pedigree and runs off to the Deep Wild. Just before Rufus's operation, he is threatened by Specials.


By: Erin Prohowich & Madison Perry Bell:2A

THE PEDIGREES 

The early summer sky was the color of human vomit. Of course Bruno thought you would have to feed a human salmon flavored cat food for a while to get the pinks right. The cuddling clouds did look a bit fishy, rippled into scales by a high altitude wind. As the light faded, deep blue gaps of night peered through like an upside down ocean, bottomless and cold.

Any other summer, a sunset like this would have been beautiful. But nothing had been beautiful since Bella turned into a Pedigree. Losing your best friend sucks, even if it's only for 3 months and 4 days.

Bruno Sanchez is a bulldog mutt with a barrel chest and wrinkles on his face so deep they creased his face like roadmap. Despite the fact that he had a slobbering problem and an under bite, he was still loved by everyone. He was so ugly he was cute! Crawling into bed, his caramel and white spots suddenly disappeared, along with his bright blue eyes. He tossed, turned and punched his dog bed so it impersonated his body figure. Once he finally got comfortable, it was impossible for him to fall asleep, so he passed the hours thinking about his best friend. Restless and lonely, he decided to head out on a little trip to see Bella in Suburbia.

He could see the rosy glow of the street and house lights in the distance where he knew his friend Bella was enjoying designer dog food from her new gold lined bowl. As he was on his way he found a discarded Halloween pumpkin costume. He quickly put it on and covered his hideous face with the stem hat. He found a crack in the fence and squeezed through to the land forbidden to Mutties like himself. He quickly passed through the streets heading towards Doggy Palace where he knew Bella would be celebrating her new perfect shape, coat and teeth. He entered through the Palace's side doggie door, and sniffed his way towards Bella. Confused by his inability to find her, he was relieved when heard her familiar bark and turned around to see Bella.

"What are you doing here Tubby, you're going to get caught by the dog catchers!" whispered Bella.

"I was just wondering if we were still best friends …" Bruno asked. Although he heard the words "yes of course" come from her mouth, he could see her flinch back from his breath.

"I am so glad to see you, but just promise me that you won't do any more stupid tricks Bruno! Coming here is something that will get you into trouble. I want to see you Pedigree!"

"Okay I promise," Bruno pledged. He retreated with his stump of a tail between his legs. As he snuck quietly back to the Wild, his heart skipped a beat as he heard the sirens of the dog catcher blare from behind. He knew with a sinking feeling in his gut that his short legs could never outrun those of the dog catchers. He rounded the corner and his prayers were answered. Leaning against an old oak tree was a Hawk X-50 premium skateboard glowing in the distance. He raced to it and with a swipe of his front paw, the board fell to the ground. Bruno hopped on, and off he went. The dog catchers never stood a chance. He maneuvered his way through the streets until he finally spotted the hole in the fence. Once in his sights, he headed full force for the opening back toward safety! Unfortunately, at the last minute, he realized he miscalculated the width of the board and the width of the hole. As he started going through, the board wedged into the sides of the hole, sending him tumbling back into the Wild. He slammed smack into a tree. When the cobwebs cleared from his head, he opened his eyes to see a chunky hound dog staring him straight in his face.

"That was cool dog! Were you really just in Suburbia?"

"Yeah, I went to visit my old best friend Bella. I really miss her,." Bruno sighed.

"I'm sorry you miss her. I'm Rufus the Swamp dog." He was brown and black with sad brown eyes and a few fleas racing across his pink tummy.

"I have some old meat scraps I found hidden behind a tree over there, want to share?" Over the next few weeks Rufus and Bruno were inseparable. They spent their days galloping through swamps, rolling in mud puddles and searching for scraps of food. Bruno counted down the days until he could become Pedigree.

One night while he was sleeping, Rufus nudged him awake and said, "Come with me." Bruno jumped out of bed and hopped on his skateboard and hollered,

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see, ever been to the Deep Wild?" Rufus whispered.

Their skateboards sped along the trails, maneuvering through the trees with extreme accuracy. The night air flowed over their fur and Bruno had a feeling of freedom. It was a feeling he had never experienced before. Once they reached the Deep Wild, Bruno spotted a cluster of abandoned dog houses and wondered how those got there. Charred bones could be seen scattered all over the ground.

"What happened to this place?" Bruno asked with a look of horror in his eyes.

"It was called the Deep Wild." Rufus said.

"Long ago, Mutties came here when they decided that they didn't want to receive the DBP, Dog Beautification Project, to become a Pedigree.

Daisy, a tall lanky hound dog spies Rufus and Bruno from the shadows. She checks them out suspiciously. Daisy doesn't trust newcomers because the American Pedigree Association (APA) wants to have The Deep Wild terminated for good. They have discovered that dogs from all over are running there because they choose to avoid the Dog Beautification Project and stay a Muttie. There was something in Bruno's eyes that touched Daisy's soul. She knew he would make a difference to their cause! As they started to leave, Daisy pulled Bruno to the side and explained the beauty of the Deep Wild. She made the case for living as they were intended, rolling in the mud, smelling like dogs and loving each other as they were created. She told him about the sacrifices that other dogs had to make to preserve the safety of the Deep Wild. Bruno's head was spinning! He had never considered that he was important as an ugly stinky muttie, but it seemed like Daisy thought so. He was also amazed that Rufus had trusted him enough to take him to the Deep Wild where he would have to keep a secret as big as this one.

They all knew the time was getting late and that they had to get back before the nightly bed check. Once they got back to their room, Rufus confided to Bruno that he wanted live in the Deep Wild for good and didn't want to become a Pedigree.

"Have you gone crazy?! Why in the world wouldn't you want to become a Pedigree? You get to be pretty and perfect and have fun all the time?", exclaimed Bruno furiously.

"I just think that life at the Deep Wild would be better than here, because it doesn't matter what you look like there! You don't have to compete with anybody over how beautiful you look. ," argued Rufus.

"How could you stand looking like some old, wrinkled Muttie for the rest of your life, Rufus? We have the chance to make the change! We can be perfect!"

"I just can't see why being a Pedigree is better. I mean, it goes against our nature. We are meant to eat scraps and roll in the mud and scratch at our fleas. Being perfect with bows in our hair sounds like pure torture to me.", said Rufus. Rufus felt pretty bad about what he had just said, but in his gut he knew it was true. Totally confused, Bruno shouted for Rufus to get out and that it was better for them both to take a break from each other for a while. As soon as Rufus walked out of the door, Bruno burst into tears. Bruno felt horrible about the fight and sending Rufus away.

A few days later, he and Rufus ran into one another at the park.

"Oh my gosh I have some big news that I have to tell you Bruno!", Rufus said.

"Wait, does this mean that we are friends again?" Bruno said hopefully.

"We weren't ever _not friends_, Bruno, but I have decided that I want to live in the Deep Wild for good. I want you to come with me though Bruno."

"I just thought that after the fight you weren't going to be my friend because it was so bad." Bruno said with a relief under his breath. He was relieved to find that things were back to normal between them. Rufus told Bruno that he was going to the Deep Wild no matter what. Bruno said he understood and told him that he would miss him. Bruno promised he would keep Rufus's secret. That night, Rufus gave Bruno one last goodbye and said that if he ever decided to change his mind and join him in the Deep Wild, that he knew where to go. That was the last time he saw Rufus.

A couple of lonely days went by. Bruno waited and counted down the days until his DBP. He was looking forward to reuniting with Bella and looking like a true Pedigree! But something kept nagging at his stomach. The day finally arrived. On his way to the DBP operation, his chaperone said that there was a problem and that they needed to go to APA to settle an important matter. Bruno got nervous…this was not how he had imagined things going. He was dragged by the collar to a big grey building. Bruno was terrified because only dogs in the _doghouse _were taken there. Bruno started to wonder if he had gotten caught for his Party crash in Suburbia. He was led to a room and an ear piercing voice came from the large pink dog in the corner. She introduced herself as Peppermint Patty, Coordinator of the APA. Bruno instantly hated her. She started asking him questions about his friend Rufus and where he went. Her eyes glared at him aggressively when he said he didn't know.

"I need you to tell me where Rufus went or you will not receive your operation.", she barked.

"Um...I don't know what you're talking about and how do you know my name?" said Bruno curiously.

"I work for the APA and we deal with dogs that run away or 'disappear' as we call it. We have noticed that your friend has suddenly disappeared." said Peppermint Patty.

"We want to know where he is so that we can save him. He doesn't understand how much better his life will be and we want to be sure he doesn't miss out on his chance to become a Pedigree" demanded Peppermint Patty. There was an edge in her voice that made the fur stand up on his back

"You have to answer my question first or I'm not answering any of your questions." Bruno said firmly.

"I have been keeping a close eye on you two. That is how I know who you are Bruno.", Peppermint Patty said, trying to sound kind.

"Well I know where he is but I'm not telling anyone.", said Bruno, keeping his promise to Rufus.

"Well then I guess you are just going to make this hard on yourself. I'll make you a deal Bruno, either you take us to your friend, or you will never become a Pedigree. The choice is up to you." Peppermint Patty said with a cruel note in her voice.

Bruno couldn't imagine his life forever as a mutt. He had waited for this day his whole life. But, he was also tortured by the thought of betraying his friend. He carefully weighed his options and said,

"Fine, I'll do what you want, as long as no one gets hurt. Promise me that."

"Okay, I promise you that." exclaimed Peppermint Patty. As Bruno left the building, the Coordinators had left him a pack that contained a bag of dog food, a skateboard, and a collar with a secret button.

That night, Bruno headed out for the Deep Wild. He was instructed to press the button when he arrived and it would pinpoint his exact location for the APA. He was worried he wouldn't remember the way, but within a few days, he was there at the meeting spot by the old burned doghouses. Rufus was thrilled to see that Bruno understood his directions and made the decision to come. Daisy stood in the background and admired the new arrival to the Deep Wild. His chest was so broad and the wrinkles around his eyes made her stomach do a little flip. Bruno said he was there to join their cause and they began to process him into the Deep Wild. Bruno looked on nervously as they scanned his belongings for trackers from the APA but none were detected. Bruno let out a sigh of relief.

Rufus grabbed him by the paw. He said their first stop was to see Daisy. He said she practically runs the place and is in charge of everything that goes on in the Deep Wild. Bruno could see the fondness in his eyes when he said Daisy's name.

"You like her don't you?', Bruno asked.

"I think that Daisy is so cute and I really like her a lot Bruno.", admitted Rufus.

"I can tell Rufus." Bruno said sarcastically. Bruno kept that to himself. When Bruno saw Daisy, she motioned for him to follow her somewhere. Daisy led him down a path to where her parents lived.

"I have never shown anybody where my parents live before. I brought you here because I have never met anyone like you. You have the most to gain by the DBP but you gave it all up to just be yourself. That takes so much strength and I can't stop thinking about you. I believe that you can handle anything and I want you to hear something!", Daisy said trustingly. They both walked into the house and a male voice came from the back room. He was carrying a pile of bones. Then a woman appeared with a face so similar to Daisy's that Bruno knew it had to be her mother. As soon as they sat down, Daisy, and her parents started arguing on whether to tell Bruno the truth about becoming a Pedigree. They came to an agreement and told Bruno that during the DBP operation, chips are implanted in the new Pedigree's neck.

"So what exactly do these chips do to you?", Bruno said curiously.

"The chips control a certain part of the brain and are programmed to erase a part of the new pedigree's memory. The chips make the new converts forget all the things that are special about being a dog. After the operation, new pedigrees no longer want to lick themselves, they don't feel like scratching, and they actually think they look good with bows in their hair. The thought of that made Bruno's hair stand on end. Daisy's father explained that years ago, he and his wife had been working for the APA as new Pedigree trainers. They came to suspect the chips were being implanted. They had been collecting proof for years but the APA found out and were trying to delete all of their research. Their work became more dangerous and they had to escape into the Deep Wild to keep from being euthanized.

"See this is why we created the Deep Wild. We want to protect other dogs who don't want to receive the DBP where every dog is perfect. We have been working on a cure for the chip, but we have no one to test it on. We haven't found a Pedigree who wants to volunteer for the cure. We do real work here in the Deep Wild and dogs in Suburbia can't understand having actual responsibilities." said Daisy's mom.

When they were done explaining what becoming a Pedigree really was to Bruno, he and Daisy both left to go back to camp. Once they got to the camp, Bruno threw his collar in the fire. He didn't want to take any chances that he would lead the APA back to hero's in the forest. He never suspected that any damage to the collar would activate the trigger and call in the APA.

The next morning he woke up to loud sirens and chaos. There were dogs barking and running all over the place. He went outside to see that the APA was there and they had obviously been there for awhile. He watched in horror as the APA officers were running around placing shock collars on all his new friends. He couldn't believe that he had slept in late with all of this going on around him. There was a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew he was the one who had led the APA here. He searched frantically for Daisy. He knew he had to tell her what he had done. He found Daisy hidden under a bush. He was so glad to find her safe but dreaded telling her. He took a deep breath and began his confession. He admitted that he was sent by the APA to locate the Deep Wild. He said he grew to love it here and threw the collar in the fire. He said he didn't know the collar would automatically send out a signal. Daisy looked at him in disbelief. She just couldn't believe it was true. She started to walk away with her head down, shocked at being betrayed. Bruno knew he had to find a way to make it up to her and all his new friends in the Deep Wild. He gathered his courage and said the only thing he could think of to make it right. He told Daisy that he had to go back to Suberbia and undergo the operation. He said that it was the only option to go and turn into a Pedigree so that Daisy's parents could test their new pill that could get rid of the chip. Daisy looked at him in disbelief, still not sure if it was just another trick.

Bruno had to prove how much he wanted to help. So he wrote down on paper that he would volunteer for the experiment after he became a Pedigree. Slowly, he turned with his head hung low and headed into the chaos. One of the dog police spotted him. As they slipped the dog collar around his thick neck, he said,

"I'm Bruno Sanchez and I want to become a Pedigree."


End file.
